What Does the Man City Takeover Mean for Arsenal and Liverpool?

By: Daryl | September 3rd, 2008

However you feel about the Man City takeover, there’s no doubt it’s going to shake up the Premier League. Maybe not immediately, but very likely in January and definitely by the start of next season. Especially if the new owners are even half as ambitious as they claim to be.

And – like it or not – this has to affect Arsenal and Liverpool. All of The Big Four have at least been semi-assured of their place in the Champions League for the past few seasons and could make plans accordingly. But if Man City really push on and build a team capable of finishing in the top four, then somebody has to miss out. And – based on recent history and current spending power – it doesn’t look like being Man Utd or Chelsea.

If either Arsenal or Liverpool miss out on the Champions League, and Man City make it, then suddenly there’s a big problem. And I’m not just talking about the UEFA Cup. Because once Arsenal or Liverpool are out of the Champions League – and a team like Man City is in and has more money to spend – then nature takes it course.

The big players want Champions League football and Citeh would be in a position to offer it. Plus a heavier paypacket. And the suddenly non-CL club might have to accept a big bid. Because if one of the current big four fails to make the Champions League, then there’s a shortfall in the finances that needs addressing. And so the downward spiral begins.

Maybe.

That’s obviously the nightmare, doomsday, apocalypse scenario for Arsenal and Liverpool, and I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m not hoping it happens either – officially a Premier League neutral here. But since the Abu Dhabi United Investment & Development Group got involved in the Premier League on Monday morning, it has to have crossed the minds of everyone at Arsenal and Liverpool.

The best case scenario for neutrals would see Man City making it a genuine five way fight for the four Champions League places every season. And in more ways than one, this could actually be good news for Liverpool and Arsenal fans. Bear with me here.

Because if the boards and management at Liverpool and Arsenal know they’re no longer a shoe-in for Champions League qualification, they’re going to have to up their game. That player the manager wanted but the board didn’t quite want to spend the money on… (eg Gareth Barry) … now they might have to dig a little deeper and make sure the manager gets his man. Because would you rather spend an extra couple of million than you wanted on a midfielder or would you rather miss out on Champions League revenues?

And with Arsenal and Liverpool prepared to go the extra mile, we potentially have a five way fight for not just the Champions League, but for the Premier League title too.

I’m not saying this is good for football. I’m not saying this is good for the long term health of the clubs involved. But the end of a predictable top four will definitely make the Premier League a bit more competitive, and hopefully a lot less predictable.

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Category: English Premier League, World Football

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Italianfan

Eventually all the top leagues will have about 4 billionairs as owners and in the end it will only be the same difference and back to square one. Which means the millionair clubs will be in their own league. Maybe they want a billionair Champions League of their own. The best players get brought in from the Premiership, Seria A and la Liga into one league in its self as a form of promotion to billionair clubs. If you are not rich enough to be in the league you are out. It could turn out for the worse in the end.
Mike

Spending the Arsenal Way: http://startingeleven.blogspot...
milano193

UEFA should provide the EPL with not just the top 4 .. but rather the top 6 places in the Champions League.

the Premiership is in a league of its own.. unless they enjoy watching sad 7-1 games, they should do something about it.
Italianfan

I heard Man City had a curse, I think now it will be of football. It depends how its run, are they just going to buy all the best players and hope it works? I mean it did not for Real Madrid, teams work by building it up through tacktics and investing in youth teams. They should call it Dhabi United, I don't see the City owning it anymore. I would rather keep it British through thick and thin than sell it off like that. I would be equally annoyed if Parma FC or Paris PSG got sold to the Chinese or who ever because at the end of it its patriotic. I prefer progress of football through natural talants of the same nation and progress through society of that city to be able to fund it self ad produce a centre point for its focus on sport and local achievements. I do not see selling your club to some other international as progress. Can they not make a club from scratch including stadium and make their own or or do they have to buy one out, how does that work? If they started their own club, built the stadium and strated from the start I would give foreign inversters more respect. Buying out your history, good or bad is a bit tasteless and plastic.
Dean Basnett

I can't get over the bitterness of some of you people.

I'm a City fan, and happen to be excited about the whole thing. AS WOULD ANY OF YOU HAD IT BEEN YOUR CLUB!!!

I know United fans who would cream for this opportunity. They were bought out by foreign investors who put the worlds most solvent club in to 600 million pounds worth of debt. Surely that's worse?

I think the spending is being hyped up. They'll spend similar to Chelsea, who now that the initial furore is over, spend little more than United or Spurs in close season.

This isn't about globalisation. it's about a few rich Arab's wanting a play thing in the best league in the world and you're kidding yourselves if you think others won't follow. How many Liverpool fans do you think would be glad to see the back of Hicks and Gillett and have DIC in?

Reign in your jealousy Premier League fans, let us have our moment. Doesn't come around very often.
frem

chelsea was less of an upstart then manC are. Chelsea were at the position of leeds before roman bought them, huge debt but quality enough to get into the CL before roman bought them. ManC were no where close to good enough for CL. They have good youth facilities and decent training ground but in terms of players they were always second best. When thaksin brought them nobody expected a fight top4. Even with the current team a top 4 is out of their reach, maybe next year but as it stands they with tottenham and everton. I think manC will add some needed parity to the PL but doubt they will trouble any top4 team this year.
Homey

I have a question nobody's really asked yet. If Man City turns it into a "Big 5", and perhaps other foreign investors come in for other clubs to make them bigger, then at what point will the Champions League be forced to take 5 EPL clubs? And then take a spot away from wherever. It would make sense to me.
A

Do you want to turn back globalism? I don't think starting with football is not most effective way to go about it though.
Italianfan

Well the Premier Arab League is underway now in England.
What you find is that the Premiership is no longer owned by the British and has turned international teams into corporate competition clubs. Football should be funded by their own country with their own rich people. Correct me if I'm wrong but the Olympics British team gets funded by their own national money and business men should support their own. It’s losing it's national image of having a foreign core. Trust me I know Chelsea supports who have decided to support another club because it's lost its spirit to money.

The country’s economy should pay for their own sport, it shows if the country is doing well on its own feet and foreign buys should support their own to have pride in their own countries rather than using football clubs as trophies as defeating the enemy by putting their flag on top of the stadium.

All this will stop British players being able to play at top flight while the juniors don't get a look in. Man U has a good balance in all this, they teach their own countrymen who go onto playing for England.

This guy at Man City will not only ruin the Premiership he will buy out the rest of Europe and I want players like Messi at Barcelona who was discovered and players like Kaka at Milan who Milan made famous. Their fame came from these clubs, they become the best at these clubs and Man City has no right to rape other clubs by prostituting them selves. It does not buy loyalty; it just breaks other club's rhythms up for doing well. Ronaldinho left for Milan because he needed a new challenge and had a few problems. Although Milan wanted to buy him and had future plans for him, Ronaldinho stayed with Barecelona and respect him more for doing that. Now that he needed to move on he did it willingly and that brings character and a new drive for a player to prove him self. You cannot always prove you’re self if money was the factor. In the old days it was 3 foreign players, okay Milan brought Van Bastan and many other players through money but there was a limit and they have international players playing for Italy.

Is this Man City move good? No not really, its a threat to Europe not just England, don't forget many rejected Chelsea too, difference this time is no limit with spending. Hope Robino does well; hope his hunger for money suits his personality and love for the unknown club of Europe.
nobobomo

This is a biut bigger than the status quo in England. These are guys talking about buying the best players in the world, and being "bigger than both Real Madrid and MAnchester United". Forget Arsenal and Liverpool and start talking about Real, Barca, AC Milan, Inter, etc. etc. They're going to get their choice of players and it's going to upset more thatn the EPL.
Nelson

Why is everyone so steadfast on preserving the status-quo? A hundred years ago different teams won the league every year, twenty years ago it was ONLY Liverpool, ten years ago Manchester United/Arsenal...

If the status-quo remained unchanged it would be unnatural. Imagine a hundred years from now having the same "top four"...that means teams like Spurs, West Ham, and, yes, City, would have gone ANOTHER hundred years without a title...THAT doesn't seem fair to me

If money is the only way to break open the league, then everyone should get a trillion dollars and make it work. As for now, one club every few years isn't so bad...first Chelsea, now City, next someone else.
arobba

Gary: because they have a decent infrastructure in place but were still cheap
A

Chelsea was also once an upstart and then dominated the league. No reason why Man City cannot do that as well.
David

How long till every EPL club is auctioning itself off to the highest bidder. In america we have team relocation due to new owners buying teams and not liking the city they are in etc... It seems like the EPL with its foregin owenership just going up from may suffer from something new and grand.... a league relocation.
James

boycotting is a vein hope but wouldnt it be funny if it all backfired...... I don't honestly think that they stand a chance of getting a quarter of the superstars they have claimed they will buy. Theres too much pride at stake and most of them would go back to spain (Torres, Fabregas, or C.Ronaldo)
Batchment.

If Arsenal or Liverpool fail to make CL (top 4), their relivant boards will sell to the highest bidders.

Thus then putting them right back into contention, as their names alone wil attract players the Man city hype will only last for a short time.

Real class footballers wont go to Man City, it will turn it a high paid, retirement home.

Jo never heard of him, SWP Chelsea reject, Robino lightweight cry baby, lets see how good he is in Nov, Dec, jan, Feb. No samba weather here mate.

No matter who they sign no top 4 this season or next.

Mark hughes sacked by Christmas, new owners already saying his job safe. So obivously its not (vote of confidence) best bet at the bookies, not sure of the odds but put £30m quid on it.
Andre

I wholeheartedly agree with Ian and I'm an Arsenal fan. Boycotting City sounds laughable since it certainly wasn't done for Chelsea and all their Roman millions. I wish City all the best since this might finally challenge the established order and get Mr. Wenger to lose that ego of his and maybe some money since the top 4 might not be guaranteed as it was before.

It's way too late for a salary cap now. Are you going to tell Manchester United, Chelsea etc to lose some of their highest played players? I really hope the big 4 are shaking in their boots. Hopefully City can give them something to shake about as it'd all be for nought if they went about losing.
Bill

Ian what a short memory you have or are you to young to remember, when Roman took over Chelski and spent money like it was going out of fashion there was an uproar from everyone, but what can you do. I for one won't complain if DIC buy Liverpool and hopefully spend some money.
tony

Man Yew have bought the title for years and they spat their dummy out when Chelsea had the afront to try and compete its long overdue those bleeters in Trafford got put back in their box
Ian

why oh why was all this outpouring of saving football not done when chelsea were taken over and roman started the first fantasy footballing 11 and may i point out that in the uk how many of the top ten transfers were actually done by Manchester United
James

this kind of take over is really bad for football, i hold nothing against Man city but it will become farsical during transfer windows, player loyalties will be tested to the max with big golden carrot paychecks being dangled in front of their noses. I deep down hope that the other teams and players realise the situation and for fear of saving the premier leagues reputation and their current teams morale/family/team effort, boycott all transfers to man city. Otherwise there will be a big one at the top of the league with all the best players being bought up by them. perhaps not such an extreme but its not going to be very impressive on Man city's part given their new situation, more an EXPECTATION.
Fortunately that means that other teams will all make a hightened effort to show them how much a REAL TEAM rather than a DREAM ZZzzzzz team can beat the odds and win the matches.

unfortunately money does seem to rule the roost, so...........
when can we introduce a transfer limit for sale and wages which drops or rise with inflation?
maybe then the field could be level and the deciding factor as to whether a player joins a team is because he has always loved the team or idolised them as a youngster, or looks up to that managers aspirations and successes, or even prefers that teams morale and teamwork............ every team will have to work on developing youth & HOMEGROWN TALENT!!

I LOVE FOOTIE
keep it sane

James